


The art of courting

by Noire12



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-06
Updated: 2021-02-06
Packaged: 2021-03-18 17:27:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,636
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29247294
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Noire12/pseuds/Noire12
Summary: He sighed, contemplating how all of this started. He had never expected it to happen. He had tried to keep Elluin at a distance but he had failed. Her charm intoxicated him and numbed his mind. He had found it challenging to ignore her kind and generous demeanour, her curious personality filling the void in his heart.Casual chats about their situation had slowly turned into long, meaningful conversations, the intimacy of their shared thoughts bringing them together. In those moments, he had forgotten about his plan, about the Wolf's mantle hanging on his shoulders. Her unique views of the world had challenged and shattered all he had expected from this Tranquil like world. Next to her, he was just Solas, the Apostate, a simple man searching for peace. It hah been decades since a soul dared to peak under the Dread Wolf's mask, but now, a Dalish woman had connected with his soul, with his spirit. He did not know if he should rejoice or shed bitter tears.
Relationships: Female Lavellan/Solas, Fen'Harel | Solas/Female Lavellan
Comments: 2
Kudos: 14





	The art of courting

**Author's Note:**

> "Vir lath sa'vunin"=we love one more day
> 
> Many thanks to Kalany for beta-ing this piece and for teaching me so many new things about the English language. I am grateful!

The milky mist rose from the damp, mossy ground in swirls. It danced around the trees, shrouding them and sliding on the rough bark. The rays of the sun peeked through the leaves of the trees, small spots of warm light glistening on the ever-growing grass. The morning dew sparkled lazily under the gentle touch of the sun. The chilly breeze woke the birds and they chirped their excited trill in the silence of the forest.

Alongside the songs of the birds, a loud noise disturbed the harmony of the moment. The snore came from one of the tents owned by the Inquisition. It belonged to none other than Master Varric Tethras, his piercing wheeze breaking Solas’ deep concentration, as his eyes scanned the yellowed pages of a book. No matter how much he fought to ignore them, the snores drilled their way deep into his brain, chasing the words away.

Solas huffed and shut the book with a snap. Reading helped him to pass the time, but Varric's infuriating snores proved to be a frustrating challenge.

The elf shook his head and glared at the campfire. The blinking sparks left soothing trails of warmth and light on his strained face. As he watched the fire’s dance, a thought crept into his mind: Varric’s snores weren’t the cause for difficulty to concentrate. No, it was the Inquisitor’s fault. What she had done worked up his mind in such a manner, nothing captured his interest long enough to lose himself in absolute concentration.

The kiss. Elluin’s lips clashing against his shattered any walls masterfully built to contain the burning passion for her. He gave in, the intoxicating pull of her body encouraging him to get drunk on the taste of her lips, to devour her as if they had only a minute to live. He lavished in those moments of ecstasy and wished nothing more from the world as her scent trapped his mind in sweet surrender. After a few weeks, the bliss transformed into worry and fear for what was to come.

He should have stopped it, he thought every night, staring at the ceiling, the darkness the only witness to his struggles. He should have ignored the longing in her eyes and her mind-numbing smirk. He flirted with the Inquisitor daily as if they were star-crossed lovers, instead of making the right decision and turning his back on her. He had no right to love her, no right to desire more from her. Even so, he gave into the memory every night, promising himself it will be the last time.

As the days passed by, that unique moment overwhelmed his mind. He longed for the forbidden taste of Elluin’s lips day and night. His heart pushed him to give in into the temptation, as the Inquisitor awaited his answer, his approval to continue their relationship, to be more than friends. He could walk into the tent right now, steal a kiss from her as she slept, and she’d happily accept it.

He licked his lips unconsciously, lost again in that moment. His fingernails sank into his thighs, wishing he could grip her delicious butt again. With a groan, his eyes closed. He focused on the sensation of her breast squeezed against his chest.

The flap of the tent suddenly moved, followed by the sound of feet shuffling. Solas snapped opened his eyes, the return to reality unbalancing him and turned to look at the entrance. The woman ever present in his thoughts stood with her head lolled on her shoulders, her messy red hair curled in ringlets around her freckled kissed cheeks. The Inquisitor yawned, her hands stretching towards the sky, and her joints popped. Her white shirt rode up, revealing an abdomen full of freckles, and Solas wondered how it would be to kiss each of them. The thought sent a shiver down his spine, and he averted his eyes, afraid Elluin might catch the desire shining there.

“Morning Solas,” she mumbled, a yawn interrupting her.

Even if she seldom cared about her looks and this morning found her with puffy eyes and her hair all ruffled up, Solas found her to be the image of exquisite beauty. Elluin’s aloof attitude towards her appearances woke up a dormant desire in him.

“Good morning, Inquisitor”, he answered, his voice strained as he tried to hold back his smile.

An uncharacteristic giddiness took him over, happy she finally woke up. He had a small surprise for her: a pot stood close to the flames of the campfire, a black liquid boiling inside it. He had never figured out why she preferred the vile concoction, but it made her happy. He had searched for the recipe and learned how to brew it.

“Is that coffee? Did you make coffee, Solas?” she asked, getting closer to the boiling pot. Solas watched her as she studied its content. A giggle reached his ears, and his heart flipped in his chest.

He nodded and stood up from the log he sat on to pour the coffee from the pot into a cup. He offered it to Elluin, handle first. He searched her face while she tasted it, hunting for any signs of delight or disgust.

She frowned as she gulped down the content, her lips squeezing into a grimace.

“Is it bad?” he asked, hoping she won’t notice the disappointment in his voice.

“It’s perfect, Solas” she replied, a smirk on her lips. "It's strong and bitter, and it punched my brain. That's exactly what I want from a cup of coffee. Thank you!"

He shook his head and took the cup from her hands, to spare her the torment. “You are too kind, Inquisitor.I still have a lot to learn about the art of brewing coffee. Please do not force yourself to drink it to make me happy,” he continued and threw away the content of the pot, magically removing the coffee grounds stuck on the bottom with a flick of the wrist.

“You know, Solas, if you want to learn how to make it, I can show you. It isn’t that complicated.”

“No,” he insisted. “I will learn the process. I need more time for research, that is all.”

“As you wish, you stubborn man,” she said, snorting, and sat on a log next to the fire, pushing the flames with her magic to burn brighter.

She shivered in the cold of the morning, goosebumps blooming on her skin. Solas reached for his cloak, unclasped it from his shoulders and wrapped it around her shoulders. Her body jerked at the unexpected contact, but she relaxed and nodded in acceptance.

He joined her next to the fire, returning to his abandoned book, ready to lose himself in the complexity of the information, as Varric’s snores stopped. A few minutes passed, both of them quiet, the fire spreading the welcomed warmth. Words lost their meanings to Solas. He could not help it but steal glances at the woman he loved. She stared at the ground, lost in thought and uncharacteristically quiet; she addressed no question to him.

But as the minutes went by, Solas worried. Almost fifteen minutes passed without her making even the smallest sound. He interrupted his readding once more to take another look at her expression. Her lips turned bright red as she bit them, breaking the sensitive skin.

“What is bothering you, Inquisitor?” he asked in a low voice, making sure not to startle her. He abandoned his book on the ground, too worried about Elluin to care about what Brother Genitivi had to say about nugs.

Her eyes left the fire to look back at Solas. She sighed and pulled the cloak closer to her body, wrapping it even tighter around her. It took her another few moments to answer, and when she did it, her voice trembled with emotions.

“Some thoughts have been nagging me for a while, and I still don’t know what to do about them.”

“Oh? Is there any way I can help you, Inquisitor?”

"Don't worry; it doesn't involve the safety of the world. It's rather more about me. It's personal."

"I apologise," Solas replied quickly, eager to excuse himself, worried he might have asked too much. While she enjoyed chatting and sharing ideas, she avoided conversation about private matters. "I did not want to inquire into personal details."

Elluin huffed, a twinkle of annoyance sparked in her eyes. "I think you have won the right to hear my dilemmas, Solas. It's about my parents. Lately, I have been thinking about something they did when they were alive. And I'm trying to decide if I should follow their example of not."

"Ah, I see.”

Solas learned from Leliana that Templars murdered Elluin's parents as they tried to take her father to a mage Circle. The Templars ambushed them while strolling in the forest, away from their Clan. Three Templars died alongside her parents. One of them escaped, running and abandoning his friends. He later faced the fury of their child, years after forgetting the face of those who he killed.

"Don't worry, Solas. I'm not upset. I am thinking about something happy. What they did when they were young and in love," Elluin continued, her fingers fidgeting with the rim of his cloak . To Solas' surprise, a tint of red coloured her cheeks.

"My haren told me about how they ended up together. You see, it took them quite a while. Everyone knew they had feelings for each other except my parents.”

Her eyes met his, searching for his approval to continue. He nodded, curious to see where this discussion would lead. An excellent, terrifying thought made its way into Solas' mind.

She hugged herself, hands around her waist, in an attempt to ward off the cold of the morning, and he wished he could wrap his arms against her to warm her body.

"My mother was a hunter. She was a quiet woman. She rarely spoke and spent her time improving her bow and aim. On the other hand, my father was loud and boisterous but had no idea how to share his feelings. Both of them were in love with each other, but they were sure the love wasn't mutual.

"My Hahren, frustrated with them, pushed my father to court her. But he had no idea how to do that, how to show her that he is worthy of her love. It took him a few weeks, but he finally came up with an idea. He offered my mother a hand-carved bow, the perfect tool for hunting. He snuck one night into her Aravel and left it there, alongside with a note saying 'I like you, but I don't know how to show it, so I made this bow to help you in your hunt. Will you accept my feelings?'

"The next day, my mother wore the bow on her shoulder, and she hunted the most beautiful deer. She accepted the gift and my father's feelings. And finally, they became a couple," Elluin ended the story with a giggle, her eyes shining with happiness but her cheeks and pointy ears were as red as the hair surrounding her face.

Solas froze in place, as he understood the meaning of the story. He swallowed hard, waiting for her to continue.

"I understand my father, you know. Feelings are confusing, especially the ones about love. But I admire his gesture. And I want to do that too, Solas,” her voice broke under the weight of those words. Solas braced himself for what was to come, burying his fingernails in the material of his pants.

His instincts screamed, warning him this will lead only to more trouble, that he wouldn't be able to back down once he opened his mouth to speak. It was the perfect opportunity to stop the madness, to reject her and put an end to it all.

But he could not do it. He loved Elluin, and it was time to make peace with the truth. To fully accept it and embrace it. He was in love with a woman eager to court him. Keen to create something for him with her own two hands.

Solas knew this was the moment of his undoing, the moment he will remember when the time will come for him to make a choice. But right then, it did not matter. All that mattered was the woman in front of him, and her eagerness to make him hers.

"Is this the reason why you have so many cuts and bruises on your hands? Did you make something for me?", he finally spoke, his voice coming out more softly than he expected it.

She got to her feet and rushed to her tent, vanishing inside it. Solas quietly waited, a melancholic smile blooming on his lips. Elluin was courting him. How many decades had passed since the last time he had been courted? How many of them courted Fen'Harel instead of Solas? He frowned, as the realisation struck him: Elluin might be the only one who courted Solas and not the so-called god. He wondered if she would still be so eager to do it after learning the truth. The never-ending shadow of the Wolf tainted the beauty of the moment.

He sighed, contemplating how all of this started. He had never expected it to happen. He had tried to keep Elluin at a distance but he had failed. Her charm intoxicated him and numbed his mind. He had found it challenging to ignore her kind and generous demeanour, her curious personality filling the void in his heart.

Casual chats about their situation had slowly turned into long, meaningful conversations, the intimacy of their shared thoughts bringing them together. In those moments, he had forgotten about his plan, about the Wolf's mantle hanging on his shoulders. Her unique views of the world had challenged and shattered all he had expected from this Tranquil like world. Next to her, he was just Solas, the Apostate, a simple man searching for peace. It hah been decades since a soul dared to peak under the Dread Wolf's mask, but now, a Dalish woman had connected with his soul, with his spirit. He did not know if he should rejoice or shed bitter tears.

Elluin finally emerged from the tent holding a small, wooden box in her hands. She made her way to Solas, the hesitation in her step making him even more curious. It was so strange to see the Inquisitor hesitating. She had no problems jumping in front of danger, but now she shuffled her legs, squeezing the box with such strength- that her knuckles turned white.

"Is this for me?" he asked, as Elluin did not speak and stared at the box in her hands. Solas understood love and feelings weren't her forte, and she required help in expressing them.

Elluin nodded, still not looking into his eyes. His hands reached for the box, brushing her fingers on their way.

"May I look inside it?"

She nodded again, this time smiling at him and let go of the box.

Solas' fingers traced the patterns carved on the sides of the box. Intricate vines decorated them, reminding him of the Vallaslin painted on her face. The box weighed almost nothing, the unpainted wood light and rough against the skin of his palms. His fingers had no difficulty in wrapping around it, the box small enough to carry it in the back pocket of a cloak . It had no lock, just a wax seal in the form of a white halla.

With a small pop, the wax snapped, and he gently opened the box, treasuring every moment of this special event. Inside, the box's bottom was covered with red velvet, and a few Elvhen words were inscribed in green ink on the lid's underside.

"Vir lath sa'vunin," he whispered, reading the inscription. He wondered why Elluin chose those words, and he realised maybe he wasn't the only one afraid of the feelings they shared for each other.

On the red material, a leather cuff rested, waiting for Solas to pick it. The black leather looked brand new, and it shone in the light of the morning. Small leaves and vines decorated the leather, the Dalish patterns painted in red ink. A pulse of magic infused them, with the same vibration Elluin's magic had.

Surprised, he lifted his eyes to look at Elluin, as he realised her magic coloured the patterns. He noticed the proud smirk tugging on her lips, and he understood the considerable effort necessary to craft such a gift.

"You made this all alone?" he inquired, amazement colouring his voice. "You truly are surprising, Inquisitor."

Elluin snickered, the proud smirk turning into a grin. She winked at Solas and wrapped her arms around her chest. "No, not alone. I asked Blackwall to teach me how to carve patterns in leather and wood. It took me a bit to learn how to do it, but I finally did with practice. My hands took some damage in the process", she said, wiggling her fingers to show off the fresh scratches decorating her skin. "I also hunted the halla for the leather and painted it with my own two hands. I worked the leather manually into a cuff, following the Dalish techniques. The leather patterns hold a bit of my fire magic, and if you blend your magic with it, it will release its warmth. If you find yourself shivering in the cold, my magic will warm you.

"It took me almost a month to make it, but I think it fully shows my worth. I am ready to learn any craft that will help me make you my lover, Solas! I won't stop until I can call you mine."

A wave of heat engulfed his entire body, from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. The meaning of her words and the certainty with which she uttered them woke an electrifying passion, one he thought to be long extinguished. He felt young and bold again, ready to devour her lips, which were curled into a smug smile. The box in his hand rattled as his whole body shivered and he took a long, deep breath to steady himself, his intense stare never leaving Elluin's provocative smile.

"Are you alright there, Solas?" she taunted, the glee in her voice making it clear to Solas that she enjoyed the effects her words had on him.

He nodded and his long fingers lifted the cuff from the box to examine it closer. He noticed the small carving mistakes on the leather: a leaf with a funny shape, a vine ending too fast. But it did not matter. Her hands made it. It held more value than any golden trinket he received in Arlathan. He looked at it for a few long minutes, marvelling at its beauty.

"I...thank you. It is perfect. More than I am worth", he continued and slipped the cuff on his left wrist. It fit perfectly: small enough to not disturb his casting and movements but big enough for him to notice it when he moved. The warmth of her spell spread on his skin, as their magic blended.

"Does it mean…..you accept my gift? I know you asked for more time but I want to know if you will allow me to court you? And after I am done, if you decide you don't want me, you can return the gift to me. " Her words flowed rapidly, and she rocked back on her heels, taking slow, even breaths.

"I do. But I have nothing to offer you in exchange right now,"

"The only thing I need from you, Solas," she purred, licking her lips and closing the distance between them. "Is another kiss like the one in the Fade."

She rose on her tiptoes to reach his lips, her breath tickling Solas' nose. The discreet lily of the valley perfume of her hair reached his nose, and he gulped down the desire to dig his fingers through her curls.

Solas opened his mouth to answer but a sudden noise startled both of them. The flap of the tent opened, and Cassandra emerged from it, sneezing loudly. Both of them jumped a few steps back, putting some distance between them. He slipped the box into his pants' pocket and covered the leather cuff with the sleeve of his shirt. He had no desire to share such an intimate moment with Cassandra.

"Something the matter?" she asked, eyeing the two of them curiously.

"No, nothing at all! I just told Solas I need herbs for tea as we're out of coffee. I'll go gather some", Elluin hurried to reply and left both of them. Awkward silence followed.

Solas watched how her hair bounced on her shoulders, his cloak fluttering behind her, as she hurried to leave the camp, an amused smile tugging at his lips.

He touched the leather cuff on his wrist once more, and he felt hopeless. No matter how much he planned, no matter how much time he spent consolidating his plans, something always surprised him. But this time, he gladly accepted the disturbance. The acceptance of his feelings finally opened his eyes and took a weight off his shoulders. No matter what came, no matter how much he regretted accepting her gift and her love, he was sure of a fact: he will never forget the woman who succeeded in stealing the Wolf's heart.

He smiled at Cassandra, and he joyfully invited her to join him by the fire. The sun shone brightly on the sky, the mist lifted, and for the first time in hundreds of years, the warmth of happiness replaced his fears.


End file.
